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Air pollutant transport plays an important role in local air quality, but field observations of transport fluxes, especially their vertical distributions, are very limited. We characterized the vertical structures of transport fluxes in central Luoyang, Fen-Wei Plain, China, in winter based on observations of vertical air pollutant and wind profiles using multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) and Doppler wind lidar, respectively. The northwest and the northeast are the two privileged wind directions. The wind direction and total transport scenarios were dominantly the northwest during clear days, turning to the northeast during the polluted days. Increased transport flux intensities of aerosol were found at altitudes below 400 m on heavily polluted days from the northeast to the southwest over the city. Considering pollution dependence on wind directions and speeds, surface-dominated northeast transport may contribute to local haze events. Northwest winds transporting clean air masses were dominant during clean periods and flux profiles characterized by high altitudes between 200 and 600 m in Luoyang. During the COVID-19 lockdown period in late January and February, clear reductions in transport flux were found for NO2 from the northeast and for HCHO from the northwest, while the corresponding main transport altitude remained unchanged. Our findings provide better understandings of regional transport characteristics, especially at different altitudes.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, China’s air pollution has been significantly affected by control measures on industrial production and human activities. In this study, we analyzed the temporal variations of NO2 concentrations during the COVID-19 lockdown and post-epidemic era in 11 Chinese megacities by using satellite and ground-based remote sensing as well as in situ measurements. The average satellite tropospheric vertical column density (TVCD) of NO2 by TROPOMI decreased by 39.2–71.93% during the 15 days after Chinese New Year when the lockdown was at its most rigorous compared to that of 2019, while the in situ NO2 concentration measured by China National Environmental Monitoring Centre (CNEMC) decreased by 42.53–69.81% for these cities. Such differences between both measurements were further investigated by using ground-based multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) remote sensing of NO2 vertical profiles. For instance, in Beijing, MAX-DOAS NO2 showed a decrease of 14.19% (versus 18.63% by in situ) at the ground surface, and 36.24% (versus 36.25% by satellite) for the total tropospheric column. Thus, vertical discrepancies of atmospheric NO2 can largely explain the differences between satellite and in situ NO2 variations. In the post-epidemic era of 2021, satellite NO2 TVCD and in situ NO2 concentrations decreased by 10.42–64.96% and 1.05–34.99% compared to 2019, respectively, possibly related to the reduction of the transportation industry. This study reveals the changes of China’s urban NO2 pollution in the post-epidemic era and indicates that COVID-19 had a profound impact on human social activities and industrial production.

This study analyzed the differences in ozone (O3) sensitivity in four different urban areas in China from February 2019 to January 2020 based on data on various near-surface pollutants from passive multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) sites and nearby China National Environmental Monitoring Center (CNEMC) sites. Across the four cities, the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and formaldehyde (HCHO) concentrations varied seasonally. Xianghe consistently displayed the lowest NO2 levels, suggesting reduced emissions compared to other cities. Guangzhou, a city with a robust economy and a high level of vehicle ownership, exhibited higher concentrations in spring. Summer brought elevated HCHO levels in Guangzhou, Xianghe, and Shenyang due to intensified photochemical processes. Autumn and winter showed higher HCHO concentrations in Guangzhou and Xianghe compared to Lanzhou and Shenyang. Overall, Guangzhou recorded the highest annual averages, due to its developed economy, while Xianghe’s lower NO2 levels were offset by the elevated HCHO due to higher O3 values. The analysis delved into primary and secondary HCHO sources across seasons and used carbon monoxide (CO) and O3 data. Xianghe showcased the dominance of secondary sources in summer and autumn, while Lanzhou was characterized by primary dominance throughout the year. Shenyang mirrored Xianghe’s evolution due to industrial emissions. In Guangzhou, due to the high levels of vehicular traffic and sunlight conditions, secondary sources predominantly influenced HCHO concentrations. These findings highlight the interplay between primary and secondary emissions in diverse urban settings. This study explored O3 sensitivity variations across seasons. Xianghe exhibited a balanced distribution among volatile organic compound (VOC)-limited conditions, nitrogen oxide (NOx)-limited conditions, and transitional influences. Lanzhou was mainly affected by VOC-limited conditions in winter and NOx-limited conditions in other seasons. Shenyang’s sensitivity varied with the seasons and was primarily influenced by transitions between VOCs and NOx in autumn and NOx-limited conditions otherwise. Guangzhou experienced varied influences. During periods of high O3 pollution, all regions were affected by NOx-limited conditions, indicating the necessity of NOx monitoring in these areas, especially during summer in all regions and during autumn in Xianghe and Guangzhou.

High spatial-temporal resolution distribution of atmospheric gaseous pollutant is an important basis for tracing its emission, transport, and transformation. Typical methods for acquiring regional atmospheric gaseous pollutant distributions are satellite remote sensing and in situ observations. However, these approaches have limitations, such as sparse overpass times for satellites and restricted coverage for in situ monitoring. In this study, we propose a method for the long-term detection of the horizontal distribution of trace gases. This method based on effective optical paths (EOPs) as the instrument's detection range. It acquires the average trace gas concentration along the EOPs by utilizing different detection distances within the ultraviolet (UV) and visible (VIS) spectral bands. Subsequently, we use the onion-peeling method to obtain trace gas concentrations at two distinct distances. The obtained trace gas horizontal distribution was consistent with the in situ and mobile measurements. Compared with satellite remote sensing, this method achieved horizontal distribution results with higher spatial and temporal resolutions, and located several small high-value areas in Hefei, China. The tropospheric NO 2 vertical column density (VCD) results of the satellite at transit time (13:30) were consistent with the hyperspectral NO 2 horizontal distribution results at 13:00 to 14:00 on the same day but were not consistent with the daily average NO 2 results. The hourly NO 2 concentration in each area was 10% to 40% lower than the daytime average obtained by the hyperspectral remote sensing result. We evaluated the errors associated with the calculation of NO 2 emissions based on the satellite results and found a bias of approximately 69.45% to 83.34%. The spatial distribution of NO 2 concentration obtained from MAX-DOAS measurements may help in future bottom-up emission calculations.

Restrictions on human activities remarkably reduced emissions of air pollutants in China during the COVID-19 lockdown periods. However, distinct responses of O3 concentrations were observed across China. In the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) and Yangtze River Delta (YRD) regions, O3 concentrations were enhanced by 90.21 and 71.79% from pre-lockdown to lockdown periods in 2020, significantly greater than the equivalent concentrations for the same periods over 2015–2019 (69.99 and 43.62%, p < 0.001). In contrast, a decline was detected (−1.1%) in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. To better understand the underlying causes for these inconsistent responses across China, we adopted the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (Lasso) and ordinary linear squares (OLS) methods in this study. Statistical analysis indicated that a sharp decline in nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was the major driver of enhanced O3 in the BTH region as it is a NOx-saturated region. In the YRD region, season-shift induced changes in the temperature/shortwave radiative flux, while lockdown induced declines in NO2, attributable to the rise in O3. In the PRD region, the slight drop in O3 is attributed to the decreased intensity of radiation. The distinct regimes of the O3 response to the COVID-19 lockdown in China offer important insights into different O3 control strategies across China.

Pollutant transport has a substantial impact on the atmospheric environment in megacity clusters. However, owing to the lack of knowledge of vertical pollutant structure, quantification of transport processes and understanding of their impacts on the environment remain inadequate. In this study, we retrieved the vertical profiles of aerosols, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and formaldehyde (HCHO) using multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) and analyzed three typical transport phenomena over the North China Plain (NCP) and Yangtze River Delta (YRD). We found the following: (1) the main transport layers (MTL) of aerosols, NO2, and HCHO along the southwest–northeast transport pathway in the Jing-Jin-Ji region were approximately 400–800, 0–400, and 400–1200 m, respectively. The maximum transport flux of HCHO appeared in Wangdu (WD), and aerosol and NO2 transport fluxes were assumed to be high in Shijiazhuang (SJZ), both urban areas being significant sources feeding regional pollutant transport pathways. (2) The NCP was affected by severe dust transport on 15 March 2021. The airborne dust suppressed dissipation and boosted pollutant accumulation, decreasing the height of high-altitude pollutant peaks. Furthermore, the dust enhanced aerosol production and accumulation, weakening light intensity. For the NO2 levels, dust and aerosols had different effects. At the SJZ and Dongying (DY) stations, the decreased light intensity prevented NO2 photolysis and favored NO2 concentration increase. In contrast, dust and aerosols provided surfaces for heterogeneous reactions, resulting in reduced NO2 levels at the Nancheng (NC) and Xianghe (XH) stations. The reduced solar radiation favored local HCHO accumulation in SJZ owing to the dominant contribution of the primary HCHO. (3) Back-and-forth transboundary transport between the NCP and YRD was found. The YRD-to-NCP and NCP-to-YRD transport processes mainly occurred in the 500–1500 and 0–1000 m layers, respectively. This transport, accompanied by the dome effect of aerosols, produced a large-scale increase in PM2.5, further validating the haze-amplifying mechanism.

Persistent wintertime heavy haze incidents caused by anthropogenic aerosols have repeatedly shrouded North China in recent years, while natural dust from the west and northwest of China also frequently affects air quality in this region. Through continuous observation by a multi-wavelength Raman lidar, here we found that wintertime aerosols in North China are typically characterized by a pronounced vertical stratification, where scattering nonspherical particles (dust or mixtures of dust and anthropogenic aerosols) dominated above the planetary boundary layer (PBL), and absorbing spherical particles (anthropogenic aerosols) prevailed within the PBL. This stratification is governed by meteorological conditions that strong northwesterly winds usually prevailed in the lower free troposphere, and southerly winds dominated in the PBL, producing persistent and intense haze pollution. With the increased contribution of elevated dust to the upper aerosols, the proportion of aerosol and trace gas at the surface in the whole column increased. Model results show that, besides directly deteriorating air quality, the key role of the elevated dust is to depress the development of PBL and weaken the turbulent exchange, mostly by lower level cooling and upper level heating, and it is more obvious during the dissipation stage, thus inhibiting the dissipation of heavy surface anthropogenic aerosols. The interactions of natural dust and anthropogenic aerosols under the unique topography of North China increase the surface anthropogenic aerosols and precursor gases, which may be one of the reasons why haze pollution in North China is heavier than that in other heavily polluted areas in China.

This study analyzed the differences in ozone (O[sub.3] ) sensitivity in four different urban areas in China from February 2019 to January 2020 based on data on various near-surface pollutants from passive multi-axis differential optical absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) sites and nearby China National Environmental Monitoring Center (CNEMC) sites. Across the four cities, the nitrogen dioxide (NO[sub.2] ) and formaldehyde (HCHO) concentrations varied seasonally. Xianghe consistently displayed the lowest NO[sub.2] levels, suggesting reduced emissions compared to other cities. Guangzhou, a city with a robust economy and a high level of vehicle ownership, exhibited higher concentrations in spring. Summer brought elevated HCHO levels in Guangzhou, Xianghe, and Shenyang due to intensified photochemical processes. Autumn and winter showed higher HCHO concentrations in Guangzhou and Xianghe compared to Lanzhou and Shenyang. Overall, Guangzhou recorded the highest annual averages, due to its developed economy, while Xianghe’s lower NO[sub.2] levels were offset by the elevated HCHO due to higher O[sub.3] values. The analysis delved into primary and secondary HCHO sources across seasons and used carbon monoxide (CO) and O[sub.3] data. Xianghe showcased the dominance of secondary sources in summer and autumn, while Lanzhou was characterized by primary dominance throughout the year. Shenyang mirrored Xianghe’s evolution due to industrial emissions. In Guangzhou, due to the high levels of vehicular traffic and sunlight conditions, secondary sources predominantly influenced HCHO concentrations. These findings highlight the interplay between primary and secondary emissions in diverse urban settings. This study explored O[sub.3] sensitivity variations across seasons. Xianghe exhibited a balanced distribution among volatile organic compound (VOC)-limited conditions, nitrogen oxide (NOx)-limited conditions, and transitional influences. Lanzhou was mainly affected by VOC-limited conditions in winter and NOx-limited conditions in other seasons. Shenyang’s sensitivity varied with the seasons and was primarily influenced by transitions between VOCs and NOx in autumn and NOx-limited conditions otherwise. Guangzhou experienced varied influences. During periods of high O[sub.3] pollution, all regions were affected by NOx-limited conditions, indicating the necessity of NOx monitoring in these areas, especially during summer in all regions and during autumn in Xianghe and Guangzhou.

The Tibetan Plateau (TP) plays an essential role in modulating regional and global climate, and its influence on climate is also affected by human-related processes, including changes in atmospheric composition. However, observations of atmospheric composition, especially vertical profile observations, remain sparse and rare on the TP, due to extremely high altitude, topographical heterogeneity and the grinding environment. Accordingly, the forcing and feedback of atmospheric composition from rapidly changing surrounding regions to regional environmental and climate change in the TP remains poorly understood. This paper introduces a high-time-resolution (∼15 min) vertical profile observational dataset of atmospheric composition (aerosols, NO2, HCHO and HONO) on the TP for more than 1 year (2017–2019) using a passive remote sensing technique. The diurnal pattern, vertical distribution and seasonal variations of these pollutants are documented here in detail. The sharing of this dataset would benefit the scientific community in exploring source–receptor relationships and the forcing and feedback of atmospheric composition on the TP to the regional and global climate. It also provides potential to improve satellite retrievals and to facilitate the development and improvement of models in cold regions. The dataset is freely available at Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5336460; Xing, 2021).

Leptospirillum ferriphilum has been identified as the dominant, moderately thermophilic, bioleaching microorganism in bioleaching processes. It is an acidic and chemolithoautrophic bacterium that gains electrons from ferrous iron oxidation for energy production and cell growth. Genetic information about this microorganism has been limited until now, which has hindered its further exploration. In this study, the complete genome of L. ferripilum ML-04 is sequenced and annotated. The bacterium has a single circular chromosome of 2,406,157 bp containing 2,471 coding sequences (CDS), 2 rRNA operons, 48 tRNA genes, a large number of mobile genetic elements and 2 genomic islands. In silico analysis shows L. ferriphilum ML-04 fixes carbon through a reductive citric acid (rTCA) cycle, and obtains nitrogen through ammonium assimilation. The genes related to \"cell envelope biogenesis, outer membrane\" (6.9%) and \"DNA replication, recombination and repair\" (5.6%) are abundant, and a large number of genes related to heavy metal detoxification, oxidative and acidic stress defense, and signal transduction pathways were detected. The genomic plasticity, plentiful cell envelope components, inorganic element metabolic abilities and stress response mechanisms found the base for this organism's survival in the bioleaching niche.